Elegant Grasshopper vs Spur-throated Locust
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Elegant Grasshopper | Spur-throated Locust |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Zonocerus elegans | Austracris guttulosa |
| Order | Orthoptera | Orthoptera |
| Family | Pyrgomorphidae | Acrididae |
| Size | 25-40 mm | 50-75 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Farmland |
| Diet | Predators | Omnivores |
| Regions | Southern Africa, East Africa | Australia, Oceania |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Elegant Grasshopper
A strikingly colorful grasshopper with green, yellow, black, and orange warning patterns. It feeds on toxic plants and is distasteful to predators.
Did You Know?
They accumulate toxins from the poisonous plants they eat, making them so unpalatable that even starving birds refuse to eat them.
Spur-throated Locust
A large Australian locust named for the distinctive spur on its throat. It is a major agricultural pest in northern and eastern Australia, particularly damaging to sorghum and other grain crops.
Did You Know?
Unlike the plague locust, spur-throated locusts are primarily solitary but can form dense bands when conditions are favourable.